Recipes

Loaded with chopped veggies, this thick and creamy soup is unbelievably delicious. Just add a couple of whole wheat rolls on the side for a hearty winter dish.

Prep Time: 10 minutesCook Time: 1 hr 10 minutesYield: 6 Servings

Ingredients

1 TB extra virgin olive oil

1 cup onion, chopped (~1 medium)

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup leeks, white & light green sections, chopped (~ 2 leeks)

1 cup carrots, chopped (~ 3 medium)

¼ tsp salt

1 TB garlic cloves, minced (~2 cloves)

1 6 oz package Canadian bacon, diced

2 32 oz boxes low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth

1 lb bag green split peas, rinsed and sorted (~2 ¼ cups)

1 bay leaf

1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

¼ tsp black pepper

Instructions

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large soup or stock pot.Add onion, celery, leek, carrot and salt and cook, stirring often, until softened (~ 10 minutes).Stir in garlic and Canadian bacon and cook 1 minute longer. Add broth, peas, bay leaf, rosemary and black pepper and bring to a boil over high heat.Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour or until split peas are softened and soup has thickened. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Notes

If time is an issue, feel free to use a food processor to coarsely chop the vegetables.Just pulse each a few times until no large pieces remain.